


The Battlegrounds

by Jedwyn



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: Conflict, Explicit Language, F/M, Flawed characters, Sad, couples fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 09:54:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17578652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jedwyn/pseuds/Jedwyn
Summary: 'Marriage is a battlefield. Just never forget, when you're arguing, it is not you against your partner. It's both of you against the problem itself.'Rated for language and sexual innuendos. A look into an argument between Bonnie and Rick during their marriage. Neither one is good. But they could be good for each other, if they could just get past their pride and head strong nature.Bonnie is icecry's lovely original character. I do not own her. All rights and praise go to icecry! Follow icecry on all medias. She. is. amazing. This was made on a night when I was particularly missing Rick and Bon. Go check icecry out. She is absolutely outstanding!





	The Battlegrounds

Rick pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. They had been at this for hours. He was surprised he was even able to get dressed in his semi-nice striped shirt and grey sports coat that a ‘friend’ had bought him a few months back. The argument between him and Bonnie had obviously halted his dressing process, as his dark skinny jeans weren’t buttoned and his shoes were still left discarded on the bedroom floor. “W-Why, why can’t you just go with me?” he asked her, clearly exhausted from the day’s argument.

Bonnie was in the reverse process of Rick’s. She was still in her work clothes, trying to get in to something more comfortable after yet another long unproductive day. Her back ached, her feet ached from being in heels all day, but, hey, you never would’ve known. Bonnie always carried herself high. Not known for showing a weakness of any kind, her cold demeanor was the foundation on which she built her personality and, on most occasions, was a big turn on for Rick.

“Because I don’t want to, Richard.” She replied, seated on the bed ripping off her heels. “It’s not me! They aren’t my _friends_. I want to be here. I want you to be here.”

Rick threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “Look Bon, I am trying. You know that. You know that I am trying! I –I-I can’t do the staying still and playing dead gig.”

Bonnie scoffed and looked at her husband, “I’m sorry. What? Being with Beth and me is really SO bad that you feel like we are killing you, Richard?” She scoffed again. “Get bent, jackass.” She took her blonde hair out of its half-up pins-letting it cascade down her shoulders. “I just-I don’t know how much more I can take. How much more she can take.” Bonnie gestured to the bedroom door with her handful of bobby pins.

Rick groans as he looks at the direction Bonnie is pointing. What did she want from him? Beth was a good kid. She was doing great in school. The two of them would work on small science projects together, and she would occasionally brutally kill a neighborhood squirrel. She was a normal kid! “Beth is fine.” He muttered.

“Is she?” She glared at him. “When was the last time you saw her? Spent time with her? Played with her?” Bonnie laughed to herself. "I bet you haven’t even noticed her.”

“Of course I have!”

“You have?”

“Yes! I have!” Rick screamed as he finally finished buttoning his jeans.

Bonnie abruptly got off the bed and marched over to her vanity desk. The drawer squeaked as she opened it. Rick tried to see from the other side of the room what she was doing as he listened to her rustling through. Bonnie slams the drawer shut suddenly and turns towards him clutching a piece of paper in her hand. “Then why is she drawing stuff like this at school?” Rick examined the paper in front of him. He tried to hide the surprise in his eyes as he took in the ‘artwork’ before him.

The page was torn in the corner. There were two figures, one taller than the other. Females with blonde hair and cute colored clothes. The title of the worksheet was _Draw you, and Mommy and Daddy._ There was a space with a frame for the picture to be drawn in and then some lines below it for the students to ‘write about a normal day with Mommy and Daddy’.

Rick’s eyes scanned the sloppy hand writing decorating the lines on the page. The ‘e’s were written backwards, and the lines on the ‘k’ were too long to fit in the given lines, but at least all the words were spelled correctly. He read it to himself: _‘Beth and mommy together because Daddy likes the stars.’_

That’s when Rick saw the scribbled stars and small gray circle that he assumed was supposed to be his ship, and a small stick figure passenger with dark brown hair, he assumed was meant to be him, at the top of the picture. He then looked down at the name on the bottom of the page. The writing couldn’t be mistaken. It was the same one that was written on the drawings that were hung on the refrigerator, framed in the hallways and even tacked onto his board in his workroom. His face shifted slightly as he tried to not show how his five year old’s words had affected him.

Bonnie’s eyes were on his as he examined their daughter’s drawing. No one else would have noticed the brief moment of hurt the drawing caused, but she did. “You aren’t around Rick. And she’s not stupid. She notices. What you’re doing is affecting her. ”

Rick’s gaze was pulled away from the paper as his eyes now met his wife’s. He cleared his head with a shake and matched her icy glare. “I don’t have time for this shit. I have to go.” Rick spat out as he turned to resume getting ready. Bonnie scoffed at his retreat from the subject and slammed the drawing back onto the vanity.

“No, Rick! You do not have to go to another party. It’s just the same thirty people that you already know.”

Rick sat on their bed with his back turned to her as he tried to put on his shoes. She doesn’t understand. “I-i-it’s not just another party, Bon. These people—”

“Just go then, Rick!” She interrupted. “You always do run off. Just go! But if you come back, you are explaining to Beth why you would rather spend your time getting shitfaced with a stranger than come to her ballet recital. You are going to explain that to her this time, jackass. Not me!” Bonnie knew that bringing up the recital again was not a legitimate punch in this fight. The recital was months ago. They had already fought about it the night of when Rick showed up late, and drunk, but still…she knew it stung him and that was why she could always throw it at him. “I’m not seeing that heartbreaking look on her face when she asks why you aren’t here. You have that to look forward to whenever you decide to be a man and face her when you get back.” She sat on the bed across from him. Her body mirroring his as they sat back to back. She pulled off her knee high stockings. “Prick.” She half mumbled to herself.

Rick was in the process of tying his laces during his wife’s rant about Beth. He was trying his best not to say anything in retaliation about the recital and how he might have shown up intoxicated and late, but at least he wasn’t on his phone with his boss the whole time Beth was dancing like Bonnie was. He didn’t say it though. He didn’t say anything. He was literally biting his lip to keep from clapping back, but he didn’t say anything. He would calmly leave for the party and handle all of this tomorrow when everything cooled down a little. He needed a good night tonight…then…he heard her mumble. That was it! He abruptly stood up and raised his voice louder than he intended.

“No! Y-Y-You know what, you’re right. We’re finishing this conversation now! I’m not coming home and having to jerk myself off just because you’re giving me the silent treatment and being pissy again!” He finished his sentence in a whiny mocking tone.

Bonnie didn’t react to his childish mockery of her. She took a deep breath in. “I just don’t understand how you can keep doing this. I can’t keep up, Rick. You’re going all around the galaxy doing God knows what and I am here, with my daughter—”

“Our daughter. Our daughter! She’s mine too Bonnie!” Rick screamed at her in defense.

“Then act like it!” Bonnie turned her head around to face him. “Notice her and how she is feeling!” She looked away and tossed her hands up in frustration and hurt. “God, notice me! I’m miserable Richard. I am not being offered new projects and, I’m at a stand-still with my work.” She gestured harshly in his direction. “But, your work…You don’t know any of that. We aren’t creatures who show how we feel often, Rick, but, I’m sad.” She exhaled deeply, running her hands down her tired face. “I want the life we had for a little while. When you’d go to some exotic place and bring me back a sample to study and we’d—” She stopped herself. She was getting off track. Rick was the one with the problem. Beth was the one being affected. She could sort out her own troubles later. She turned back to face him again and went for another low blow to rile him up again. “And yet here you go, running off to a party with your little hive slut friend—”

Rick practically screamed back at her. Laughing hysterically. “My God! I-I have already- I have told you a hundred times! Unity and I didn’t do anything! S-S-So w-would you s-s-stop bringing them up?!” Damn his stutter for making a loud appearance. He took in a deep breath to gather his words so his stutter would hopefully not make an encore. It always flared in the most when he was upset. “I asked you to go tonight with me, Bon! You! I-I-I wanted you there!”

Bonnie scoffed again. “Oh, come on, Richard. You didn’t care if I was there or not. You just didn’t want my publishing friend seeing you come in without me.” She opened her nightstand drawer and pulled out her pack of cigarettes, lighting one. “I don’t want to keep just following in your stride, Richard. I want us to walk together. Make decisions together. You are just too damn stubborn to see that!”

Rick ran both of his hands down his face. Clearly worn out from the fight. “Bonnie.”

“I am not talking about it anymore, Rick.” She exhaled the smoke into the silence between them.

It was Rick’s turn to scoff as he tried to gather his thoughts again. She just doesn’t understand. He was still standing next to his side of the bed. He looked over at her. God, she was beautiful. She was fiery, but ice cold at the same time. He watched as she exhaled the smoke and how she hesitated before she pressed the cigarette back between her lips, stopping whatever she was about to say.

She just doesn’t understand. He would try and explain.

“Look, Bonnie, these people- they are- they’re throwing this party for me. They are publishing my work. M-My theories.” She didn’t move. He sighed. “I’m going, Bon. That’s done.” She slowly exhaled and stood up.

Bonnie walked over to the dresser and took out a t-shirt (accidentally one of Rick’s without noticing) and a pair of shorts. Slamming the drawer shut, she then proceeded to dress in the attire she had picked out.

Rick watched as she undressed. So mad that they were fighting right now, cause, boy, it was a missed opportunity, and fuck, of course she’s wearing one of his shirts. “Guess you’ve made it clear that you aren’t going though.” Rick said sarcastically.

She huffed behind her cigarette as she took one more drag before putting it out to slip Rick’s shirt on. Already having changed from her skirt to her shorts, she took off her work blouse exposing her bright pink lace bra. She knew it was one of Rick’s favorites. Any other chance to kick him while he was down was a win in her book. She slowly slipped on his t-shirt and pulled her hair out from under the collar in one swoop. She walked back to her side of the bed and sat down, with her back facing him once again.

Rick couldn’t do this. Why? Why were they always fighting? Don’t get him wrong, the make-up sex was almost worth it, but…he did wonder if they both had underlying reasons that they fought. He knew he did. He hated himself, his stupid actions, his fuck ups in life. And because of that, he tended to take it out on her. When most of his problems were not even about her! He hated himself for doing that too. Yes, he had other reasons that he was upset and yelling. Did she? It was worth a try.

He sighed again and lowered his voice and laced it with much more concern than usual. “What is this really about Bonnie? I know it’s not the party.” He could see that his shift in tone had surprised her. She started to fidget with her hair. Trying to act like she couldn’t decide whether to braid it or out it in a ponytail. He spoke again. “Please. For a minute, can we stop bullshitting each other and you just tell me what you’re feeling?”

She started braiding her hair in a messy fishtail, trying to avoid looking at him. He almost sounded sincere. That jackass almost fooled her. But she wasn’t putting her gloves down yet. She knew he had to have other motives. He didn’t actually care about how she was feeling. She knew that much.

Rick walked over and propped his hands up on the bed. Supporting his weight that way. He looked down. He was tempted to just leave.

No. Not again. That would only prove her right. He would get her to say what was actually bothering her. “H-H- Have you—Are you just disappointed that you’re having to be by yourself again this summer while I’m gone?” He knew that when his work got published that he would have to go places and talk about it. He wouldn’t be home for months this summer. Maybe that was why she was mad. Then he thought about his own reasons for being upset. Their marriage. They understood each other. That’s why it worked. But, they also hated each other. Which was why it didn’t. Maybe she also thought it would go away when they got married. Hell, he sure did. And for the first year or so, the hatred did go away.

“Or maybe you- Did you think this” He gestured to the both of them “would be easier than it is?” He watched as she almost turned to say something but then resumed braiding. “Well...then talk to me, Bonnie.” He whispered. “Talk to me.”

Bonnie struggled with what to say. She wanted to tell him everything. That for the first time in her life she was doubting her own work. She wasn’t receiving jobs like she used to. She pulled out her first grey hair the other day. She had always dreamed about him finally being the first to crack in a fight and ask her what was wrong and how he could help her fix it. Except in her dream, he was the one on the verge of tears, not her. Bonnie tied off her fishtail braid and breathed in. “I feel—” She sighed out. No. She wouldn’t fall for it. “I don’t know what I feel.” She grabbed a book off her night stand. “I am—” She would not fall for it. For him…again. “Do you think I’m—” She fidgeted with the book in her hands. “That my work is—”

“I believe in your work, Bonnie.” Rick interrupted. “If that’s what you’re asking.”

Bonnie didn’t know what to do. She was so mad at him for the things he had done and continues to do. And she knew that he was only doing this to try and get her to go to the party. She couldn’t let him win. He wasn’t being genuine he had ulterior motives and she knew his game. “I’m not talking about this anymore Rick. Just go to your little party. Be the guy people love but don’t like because he’s never there for them for anything more than a shot of whiskey and a quickie.”

Rick sighed to himself. He knew she was just trying to get another stir out of him, to make him storm out and look like the asshole again, but he wasn’t doing it this time. He sat on the bed, facing her this time. He had to switch up his game if he was going to get anything out of her. “If I didn’t think you could do anything you wanted; I-I wouldn’t be here, Bon.” He looked around the room. Their room. In their very own house. “We wouldn’t be having this argument, I-I’d leave right now and you-you could live with the joy knowing you were right.” He watched as Bonnie straightened her spine and opened up her book in an attempt to ignore him. “But you know I’d never let that go.” He half chuckled to himself. Rick thought long and hard about what he’d say next. She could easily misconstrued it as a surrender or a weakness if he wasn’t careful. He breathed in and looked at her. “It didn’t take a lot to convince me to believe in you.”

Bonnie was taken back by his sweet words. Clearly he was recalling the first times that they worked together and implying that she was extremely smart, and strong, and sexy, and everything she already knew, but started to question slightly the past few months. Maybe this was it. Maybe she won. She turned to look at him. Meeting his gaze searching his eyes for any hint of deceit.

She saw none. He meant what he said about her. He believed in her work. However, she also saw a look in his eyes that she had seen many times before. Lust. This asshole thought he could get in her pants and make up just because of his kind words. Her suspicions were confirmed when he leaned in towards her. She bolted up off the bed and slammed her book down on it.

“God, you’re an ass.” She spat out as she walked back over to her dresser to take out her earrings and simultaneously get as much distance between the two of them as possible in their bedroom.

Rick sighed and threw his hands up in frustration again as he stood up and raised his voice a little higher. “S-So, this whole marriage thing, do we ever get to be happy, Bonnie? You know, like at some point?” He voiced dripped sarcasm. “Actual happiness without things pushing me further and further from Beth and you and...”

“You’re pushing yourself away. And—” Bonnie interrupted. Her voice matching his slightly raised volume.

“Or! I-I-I-If I’m cheering for you Bonnie-if I’m on your side,” Rick interrupted in response. “Then why can’t you also support me?”

Bonnie, still standing at the dresser whipped her head around to him. “I do support you, Richard!”

Rick laughed once softly to himself and shouted out at the ridiculousness he found in all of this. “No, Bonnie! I feel like you think I’ve committed some felony by wanting—”

“Because you have!” Bonnie screamed at him. She was not usually the first to reach shouting levels. She usually could keep her cool better than this, but Rick couldn’t be serious. He is a criminal. They met because he was trouble.

Rick matched her scream in retaliation, trying to be heard over her. “I’m saying!” He felt his stutter about to come in again and so he tried to gather his words, but his mind was just much faster than his mouth was. “I-I-I-I’m saying, I am doing what I have always sworn I would do.” He took two steps closer to her. “You knew this when you decided to say yes to me. You knew what I wanted to do, Bon.”

Bonnie faced him and crossed her arms. “Oh, gallivant all over the multiverse and get high with aliens. Yeah, I remember. What a dream, Richard.”

“Explore, Bonnie!” Rick tried to explain. Bonnie knew his love and passion for his work better than anyone. Why was she acting like that was not still his plan? She didn’t change that plan. Beth didn’t change that plan. Their marriage didn’t change that plan. She knew that. Didn’t she? “I want to explore and create and observe.” The spark in his eyes when he talked about exploring the multiverse and making inventions, was still present. She used to love seeing that spark in his eyes when he’d talk about his plans. She couldn’t help but smile at the son of a bitch when she saw it. Hell, it was even a major turn-on for her on occasions. She couldn’t count the amount of times Rick had been mid-sentence about quantum physics or explaining how his newest gadget worked and she’d find herself launching into his lap and crashing her lips onto his as he made a futile attempt to finish his sentence. But, now that spark just reminded her of where he’d rather spend his time, what he cared about more.

His eyes stayed on her. “I-I-I-I’m getting condemned for simply doing what I said I would do. For following my passion.” He got closer to her, gesturing in rage. “I-It’s not my fault that my work is taking off.” Wow, did he really need to emphasize the ‘my’ in that sentence? “You can’t blame me and get mad at me for that—”

“I’m mad at you for always—”

“This is just about me getting noticed for my work and the fact that you aren’t isn’t it?” He quickly interrupted, not giving any acknowledgement to Bonnie’s sentence. “Oh, come on! No one can thicken your skin for you, Bonnie!”

Bonnie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Rick thought that she was jealous of him? Of all the—she was anything but jealous. He was always gone. She had the privilege of getting to be around to see Beth. She loved Beth. She wouldn’t trade the moments with her for anything. Rick, she thought, would trade them over to a drug dealer for one more high.

 

Bonnie crossed in front of Rick as she stomped towards their closet. “We never compare ourselves when it comes to work Rick. You think I’m jealous of you and your sick twisted view on life?” She laughed “Give me a break. You are such an ass Richa—”

Rick quickly interrupted. “Bonnie I-I-I’m not—”

“N-n-not what, Rick?” She spat over her shoulder as she went to open the closet door, mocking Rick’s stutter. Another low blow, but he was throwing low ones too. Her hand touched the door knob and turned it, opening it slightly before—

“Fucking shit!” Rick yelled in response to her mocking, as he slammed the closet door shut. Bonnie gasped in surprise and slight fear. “Will you listen, to me, Bonnie?!” The room fell silent for a brief moment. Rick had never been in any way violent in their fights before. He usually waited until he got to his workroom to smash and break things. This side was an untapped territory for the both of them. Bonnie immediately moved her hand away from the knob when she felt the intense pressure of Rick’s force on the door. Her hand was hovering over her chest as she looked at him. His hand still firmly on the door. Bonnie could hear Rick’s heavy breathing mixing with her sharp intakes of breath. She practically ran to her side on the bed to sit down once again turning her back to him.

He continued his shouting as she moved away. “Just because you can’t win, it doesn’t mean I have to lose! I will not fail because it’s more convenient for you, Bonnie!”

That was it. That was the blow. The one that broke them both. Rick couldn’t stop it before it left his lips. Bonnie couldn’t stop the tear that decided to fall as she sat there in silence thinking about what he had just said. Rick breathed in deeply and ran his hands down his face. Shit, he fucked up bad this time. He couldn’t believe he said it either. Was that how he really felt? He was that selfish? Not willing to even try and meet her halfway? Hell, his stutter didn’t even try to stop him from saying it…

They sat in complete silence for a full minute. Bonnie’s glasses started to fog from the abundance of her silent tears. It wasn’t until she removed her glasses to clean them, and any tears on her face, that Rick looked at her.

Bonnie never cried. He never cried. He felt a pang of utter guilt in his chest. His stomach was doing back flips, his ears were ringing. He made her cry. The ball-crushing bitch, she was trying her best to hide it, but he made her cry. Rick’s heart ached. He wished he could take it back. He wished he’d never have thought it. He…he wished a lot of things.

Rick sighed, moving to the front of the bed. Three feet from his wife. He propped his elbows on his knees and buried his face into his hands. Finally deciding that he should be the one to talk first.

“Bonnie...if I-I didn’t- If I didn’t believe—” He stopped himself. “—and I promise I’ll stop talking after this.” He breathed in a deep breath trying to calm down his stomach, the ringing in his ears, his stutter, his heart.

“I-I-I-If I didn’t believe in you and who you are, I-I could never, in my life, have stood there in front of everyone we knew.” He turned his head to look at her. She had kept her glasses off as she now held them in her lap as she stared out the window.

“I-I couldn’t have stood in front of them and said that this was what I chose. This life is what I want.” Rick gently took Bonnie’s hand. She didn’t flinch. “That I can’t lose this. You know?” Bonnie still kept her gaze outside, not daring to look at Rick. He let his eyes fall from her face to the other side of the room. He didn’t dare let go of her hand. “I-I-I couldn’t have ever, in my life, said to that minister, that you and I refuse to fall, n-n-no matter what stupid, shitty situations that the world may throw at us.”

Rick sighed again as he felt Bonnie tense up. He assumed she started crying again. He still had more to say though. He was just going to do it and get it over with. He couldn’t handle seeing Bonnie like this.

“I thought that’s what we agreed on.” Rick let go of Bonnie’s hand and instead moved behind her. Wrapping his arms around her torso. To his surprise, she didn’t run away. Instead she moved a little closer.

“Bonnibel,” Rick whispered trying to almost not be heard. “if I didn’t believe in you. I-I-I never would have loved you at all.”

Both of them stopped moving. Did Bonnie hear him correctly? I mean, he said it so quiet she might not have heard right. Loved her?

They thought they loved each other, I mean, as much as they could, but they never said it. Just like they knew they hated each other and always say it. Bonnie didn’t know what to make of all Rick’s behavior. He just hurt her with his words, nearly broke a door off its hinges, and then said he loved her.

Rick held her hand again. Bringing it up to place a small kiss on it. Rick and Bonnie breathed in and out in silence for a few moments. The tension in the room had lightened up a little. When Bonnie heard Rick take in another deep breath, felling his chest rise as she leaned on it.

Rick placed his forehead on the back of Bonnie’s head. He exhaled “Now...can you please put on your dress and come with me to the party?” She knew it. He only said those things to get her to go with him. They meant jack shit to him. Another selfish act that she was blinded from by his poisonous tongue. Bonnie untangled herself from him and walked towards the door of their bedroom.

When she pulled away, Rick held his head down in defeat. She still didn’t understand. “Bonnie?” he called after her. “Bonnie, Please.” He said pinching he bridge of his nose again. Bonnie’s stride didn’t break as she approached the door.

Rick didn’t make it a point to try anymore. He lost. He got a little louder as Bonnie opened the door. “Bonnie.”

Bonnie didn’t hesitate. She slammed the door behind her as Rick simultaneously slammed his fist onto their bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys for reading. I love to hear from you. :) And thank you icecry for such a lovely character. 
> 
> -Jedwyn


End file.
